Speakers in general fared well in the research, with 80% of event organisers saying they believe attendees to be ‘happy’ with speakers’ presentations on the whole, although 54% believe their attendees want more interaction with speakers.
A new report by Event Manager Blog (EventMB) reveals that for 90% of event professionals increasing engagement at events is a priority for their organisation. Yet 54% of event professionals also indicate a general level of satisfaction with the level of engagement achieved, the research revealed, pointing to an uncertainty amongst event professionals over how to define engagement and therefore what levels of engagement are required at events.
Speakers in general fared well in the research, with 80% of event organisers saying they believe attendees to be ‘happy’ with speakers’ presentations on the whole, although 54% believe their attendees want more interaction with speakers.
Julius Solaris, founder of EventMB and report author, comments: “Engagement must be the most overused word in the event industry. With this report we wanted to find out what planners actually think about engagement at their events and why it matters in an event planning context.
“These results are quite mesmerizing. Clearly there is some confusion or a lack of understanding when it comes to engagement, signalled by the fact that 30% of respondents don’t know if their attendees want more interaction with speakers. One unifying and overwhelming response, however, was that the vast majority say increasing engagement is a priority – demonstrating an understanding of the importance of engagement, even if the practical solutions are still not fully understood.”
The report also includes an overview of the technology available to help with engagement levels at events. Solaris continues: “When not understood fully, the vast array of technology positioned to help audience engagement has the potential to make the issue yet more confusing. For this very reason we have included in the report a detailed overview of a number of types of technologies, outlining their pros and cons, opportunities and limitations from an independent standpoint, in an attempt to clarify exactly what is available.”
The free report will be publically available on the 8th July 2015.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
